Will Katie Couric Kill General Hospital?
In your pokey Thursday media column: the latest Katie Couric rumors, The Daily's quite unprofitable, MTV's CEO resigns, more Bill Keller columnizing, and some WaPo departures.
MTV's Sneaky Election Day Plans?
Nikki Finke says that MTV is planning a massive round of layoffs. And they've decided to do it on Tuesday so that the news is totally overshadowed by Election Day. True? We don't know. But it isn't a bad idea. All those hipstery PAs won't know whether to mourn the loss of their jobs or celebrate the election of Barackā¦
Exclusive: MTV Video Music Awards Are Leaving Las Vegas, Bound For L.A.
Sources are telling us this afternoon that the executives at MTV have decided against returning to Las Vegas, the scene of the 2007 Video Music Awards, for the 2008 incarnation of the show. Instead, this year's VMAs will be broadcast live on September 7 from the Paramount Pictures Studio in Los Angeles. While oneā¦
Judy McGrath
Judy McGrath is the former chair and CEO of MTV Networks, the Viacom-owned cable behemoth that controls every other cable channel on the dial including MTV, VH1, TV Land, Comedy Central, CMT, and Nickelodeon.
MTV Memo Barely Mentioned Drastic Benefits Changes
Was MTV trying to get away with snowing contractors into signing away benefits by just sort of, you know, not mentioning it and hoping for the best? "We were distributed the paperwork and told that we were to fill it out because MTV was changing payroll companies. There was no mention of the insurance change AT ALL,"ā¦
Judy McGrath, Chairman and CEO of MTV (and former recipe writer for Mademoiselle and amateur paremiologist), sheds light on MTV's target demographic: "When you have a child (mine is12), it's a gift, and a live-in focus group. She was doing her homework while listening to music online. She said, 'Mom, found this bandā¦
MTV Layoffs: Half As Bad As Expected (Still Bad Though)
Last week, we spread the rumor that MTV would be firing around 500 people this week. This morning, chairman and CEO Judy McGrath sent around an emailāat 6:17 a.m., no lessāannouncing that in order to "explore new business models" because their "industry is at an inflection point" (??), only 250 people will be let go.ā¦
MTV News: You Share It First
Our insider's analysis of the situation at MTV yesterday drew an immediate and contrary response. We reprint it here in order to give both sides of the story. Also, because it gives us another excuse to run that picture of MTV's Mika Salmi.
Inside Baseball: MTV Networks
The recent staffing changes over at MTV Networks made us curious: What exactly is going on at everyone's favorite former home of music videos? A former Viacom staffer is on hand to answer our questions. After the jump, analysis and what's probably a little axe-grinding. Either way, it's not a pretty picture. Much likeā¦
MTV: First Prize Is a Brand New Set of Steak Knives
See, sometimes we get it right.
